Confession: I May Or May Not But Definitely Do Hoard Makeup Brushes

By the time you read this, I’ll be on a flight on my way to London for the Olympics, then on to Denmark and Turkey to relax (read: party like a fake-me-out rock star). As a ridiculously frequent traveler, I like to think of myself as a pretty concise packer -- as far as clothes are concerned. With makeup stuff? Not so much. As you can clearly see.

Out of all of the products that are making the journey across the pond with me, the most surprising would be the bag of makeup brushes. There are at least 100 brushes in there. What non-makeup artist needs to travel with more than 10 makeup brushes?

Me, that’s who. And I make NO apologies about it. I need them, I need them ALL. Well, I may not actually need them, but I definitely want them there in case I decide I do need them. Because I need them.

[For the record, today, tomorrow, forever, now and moving forward -- do as I say, not as I do. Following me will have you fucked up, fucked over and likely in debt.]

I doubt that any of you non-pros have a makeup kit even a quarter as expansive as mine (90 percent sent by publicists, 10 percent purchased when bored), but if you wear makeup on a regular basis, there are a few application tools that you definitely need. Here, three brushes I recommend you add to your must-buy-this-weekend list, ASAP:

There’s a reason that this brush is listed first. She’s all kinds of awesome. And not just because of the amazing price -- it out-performs all of my other foundation brushes by a long shot. Despite its name, it can be used with liquid, cream, or powder formulations, it’s antibacterial, and it gives you that flawless, airbrushed, maybe it’s Maybelline look. #Winning

I love cream and gel liner so much more than pencil, yet I always hate every single brush that comes packaged with the product. This angled offering works wonders on my almond-shaped eyes, whether I’m going for a thin, subtly defined look, or a full-blown dramatic cat-eye.

If you’re a fan of setting powders (I know I am!), this brush will be an absolute Godsend. When buffed on in a circular motion, it fades beautifully into skin and sets your foundation for a picture-perfect no-makeup makeup look. It’s worth every penny. Seriously, I don't care if Christmas is a little short this year -- buy this bitch.

Bonus: Here are three you don’t need—but they sure are damn nice to have!

If you’re into that whole sun-kissed, glow-from-within look, this brush makes faking it easy for you. Roll it in your powder bronzer or highlighter, and then roll it onto your temples, above your cheeks, down your nose, and across your chin. It’s near impossible to apply too much, and the color is deposited in a natural-looking way.

All of you heavy-handed hoes will appreciate this one. The longer white taklon bristles are set apart from the darker goat hairs to help control the amount of product that’s applied on the face, thus providing sheer coverage instead of that tacky, I-put-on-too-much, pancake-face look. (Ick!)

Tired of your lipstick creasing and bleeding? Direct from the tube application isn’t always the best option -- lip brushes evenly paint the color on in a way that it looks a bit richer and lasts a little longer. Also, you can use the edges of it as a makeshift lip liner -- just drag it along the outline of your lips with the lip color you’re wearing. It’ll match perfectly, you’ll use less lipstick, and you won’t need to buy liner ever again. (Cost-effective!)

What are your must-have makeup brushes? How many do you have? I’m topping out at around 275. Quite sure it’ll be at 300 by the time I come back from Europe.

India-Jewel is probably shopping for new brushes at Harrods and tweeting about it over on Twitter at @IndiaJewelJax